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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Why we play?

Why we do this? I suppose you could ask why we do anything in general, however sometimes it’s nice to step back and see what keeps you motivated to move forward with this hobby of ours. I say Hobby but for some of us it’s an ADDICTION. You know who you are lol. I haven’t reached those levels just yet but really what drives us on to show up and move our little soldier men around making pew pew sounds while rolling dice. (What do you mean you don’t make pew pew sounds? You’re doing it wrong!!! )

The hobby as a whole interests us in some manner I mean honestly if you just like rolling dice you could just play craps, you will get free drinks while you play, and over all it sadly might be a cheaper hobby at this point. I think for each of us what keeps us in the game is a bit different. For myself personally I enjoy the hobby as a whole. So I complain a little less about the changes than most people and let me explain why. (I do however make jokes and talk a little trash but that’s not complaining. Don't be so serious.)

The models.

Our overlords at GW don’t make bad models. In fact with the plastic lines of late and the new directions they are taking I enjoy several of the model lines. I mean look at DE they are amazing models and the update of a completely new line was welcome. I enjoy the fact I get to put the little evil critters together then base them. I like to design the look and add custom nonsense to my stuff. It lets me model and be creative at the same time and really who wants to see the same Ork Warboss model in everyone’s army. It’s always cool to see what other people come up with. So from Resin to Plastic and even metal the look of the game isn’t shabby at all. Is there better out there, yep but there is a ton worse.

The Paint

Painting is an entirely different level of the hobby to me personally. You get to design color scheme and army colors then figure out how to make rust look like rust. Painting is enjoyable and has so many levels I don’t know that anyone ever truly stops learning how to crayon up the old plastic men to a higher standard than the last time they picked up the brush. After the modeling and custom work painting is always the next challenge in the process and I will be the first to admit that tons and tons of you out there are far better than I. It’s also awesome that fellow painters are always willing to show you new tricks or how they got a specific color as I continue to grind and try to level up.

The People

Speaking of painters over all the people I have met while playing with my little evil critters while rolling dice toward world domination have been a pretty great group of guys. I know that the stigma is that all gamers are lazy, large, smelly, geeky guys who live in the basement. I however have found that’s not true although there are a few of them that fit the bill. The reality is there is a bit of a mixture of everyone who games and I am constantly surprised by people who are interested in the game or who tell me they play. It always catches me by surprise. From Unicorns, to girls, to small one’s, fat one’s, and some the size of your head… wait… that’s coconuts.. you get the idea.

The fluff

The game has a vast story driven background with its hands in all kinds of sci fi. There is so much fluff to explain why your marines are all sporting the new green armor this season or why those marines over there hate you. Although I admit the whole “we must kill everything not human attitude” is sometimes a bit of a cop out. It is all good fun on the table and over all the fluff is pretty good. Every army has a rich storyline to draw from with hints of things to come. The factions having rich backgrounds and leaving open the options to do a narrative battle or campaign is a nice option to have.

THE GAME

All those things and I am just now talking about the actual rules for throwing dice that prove your men are sissy’s and your emperor is false. The game itself is fun, I explain it to people all the time that its basically tabletop starkraft. I am sure that offends or annoys some of your reading but I don’t know a simpler way to explain the game to people who don’t know what it is. I love star Kraft it’s a great game and it has Marines and Xenos and people are angry and fighting all the time. Seems pretty close to the same to me. =P The game is fun and it’s never the same game. In any game tons of things could happen every game I play always has some epic moment that could be either funny or insane that me and the person playing will talk about later. The real kicker for me personally to add to all this is.

Tourney play

I enjoy that the game has events and this seals the deal for me. There are so many people that play this game that from getting a pick up game to going to an event there is a vast selection of people I can play against and I like that. If locally no one played 40k then I wouldn’t either. However being able to go to local and larger tourneys to see everyone’s army and get in a solid 3 plus games in is awesome. I have a busy life and knowing that I am showing up someplace and everyone is in the mindset to play three solid games or more in a short amount of time is a jackpot for me personally. Also I am competitive but winning isn’t everything to me. I usually would much rather have the Ren man award than the strictly battle points award because I enjoy the hobby as a whole as I have pointed out and that award means more to me. I don’t mean I like comp but I don’t mind that painting can get you a few extra points. I also enjoy the Nova format that has both sets of awards as I think an event shouldn’t rely on one or the other. I could do several posts on WAAC vs casual gamer vs fluff gamer. Perhaps another time this article has run its course so like old yeller it’s time to put it down.

The cost of the game goes up but there isn’t a ton out there that gives you as much bang for your dollar at least for me personally when you break it down. I am sure you all have your own personal reasons for sticking around or enjoying our silly toy soldier game this is just a little reminder that sometimes you have to step back and remember the positives about the game and not get wrapped up in the negative that floats about the inter webs. Plus this is way more exceptable to the wife than spending several Saturdays a month eating at Hooter's and then going ot the strip club. =P

About Me

You may know Drkmorals from such sites as MWC, FTW, STC, and now 40k Global. His personal site is Emperor's Codex. All these places he randomly spills 40k nonsense and tries to impact the community in a positive manner.